Top-prop for buggies.



No. 665,593. Patented 1an. 3, |901'. .1. H. BATTENFIELD.

TOP PROP FR BUGGIES.

(Application Bled Oct. 18, 1900.) (No Model.)

TN: noms PncRs cu., Pumoumo.. wAsHwu'rcu. o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. BATTENFIELD, OF DARDANELLE, ARKANSAS.

TOP-PROP FOR BUGGIES.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,593, dated January 8', 1901.

Application filed October 18, 1900. Serial No. 33,479. (No model.) Y

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that LJosEPH H BATTENEIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dardanelle, in the county of Yell and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Top-Props for Buggies; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relatesto top-props for buggies. When the top of a buggy is put back, its whole weight is supported by the rear bow of the top resting midway upon the seat-back or on some stud or projection therefrom, and the continual jolting of the buggy in service tends to bend this bow at the resting-point and to work loose the rivets upon which it is pivoted.

The objects of this invention are, rst, to distribute the strain for some distance along the bow; secondly, to stiffen and strengthen the bow, and, thirdly, to offer an elastic cushionlike support that shall prevent solid blows upon the bow from jolting and at the sametime to leave no opening in the support wherein any person or child might get his fingers pinched.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a top-prop for buggies, hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure Irepresents in side elevation a buggy body and top, showing my top-prop ready for service. Fig. II is an enlarged side view of one of my top-props with the face removed to expose the interior. Fig. III is a top view of a modication of the attaching-clip,with part of my prop in cross-section.

Numeral 5 represents the rear bow of a buggy-top, pivoted at 6 to a support 7, that is secured to the body 8.

9 is the body or box of my prop, usually cast of malleable iron, with a groove along one edge to receive the bow 5 and with an opening in one side to receive a sliding block 10 and a spring 11. The block 10 is fitted to Vthe bow, as yin Fig. III.

slide freely into and out of the body 9 and is slotted at 12 to receive a screw 13, that prevents it from being pushed entirely out of the body by the spring 11. The spring is provided with a projecting lug 14 at its center to enter a recess formed in the block 10 to receive it in order that the spring maybe kept longitudinally central in the box, while its ends are free to slide a little when at work.

15 is a cap fitted into the box to rest around its edge upon a ledge in the box to keep out dust and to prevent any one getting his tingers under the spring. Along its straight edge 16 the cap is dovetaiied under the edge of the box to hold it in place, and its other y edge is held down into the box by the screw 13, which passes through it and is threaded into the back of the box.

17 is a'clip to rest on the opposite side of the bow 5 and to be bound thereon with the box 9 by means of one or more bolts 18. When a single bolt is used, it may pass directly through the bow, as in Fig. II but when two bolts are used they may pass at the sides of In either case the long box-bearing on one side and the clip on the other side of the bow and rigidly bound thereto stien and strengthen it at the point of greatest strain, as the box is to be solocated on the bow that the block 10 will rest on the stud 19 or whatever fixture of the carriage supports the top when swung back. The block being backed by the spring 11 offers yielding resistance to the weight of the buggy-top when the carriage jolts, so that no hard blow is struck against the bow to bend it or to work its pivots loose, and if so extreme a jolt were met with that the block were driven home to a solid base thereby, yet the great length of solid bearing of the box along the bow so distributes the strain that no injury `to the bow would result.

This device may be made ornamental and be finished in any style desired, the expense being little in comparison to the advantages gained by it.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I believe to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

In top-props for buggies, a box grooved along one edge to fit upon a bOW of the top; a clip and one or more screw-bolts to engage the box with the said bow; a block tted to slide into and out of the box; a, spring Within the boX acting to push the block outward,

and means for limiting the outward movement of the block, substantially as described. 1o

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH H. BATTENFIELD.

o Witnesses:

JOHN G. CHETWOOD,

H. M. SUGG. 

